ITVS Open Call
Open Call provides completion funds for single
nonfiction public television programs on any subject, and from any viewpoint.
Projects must have begun production as evidenced by a work-in-progress video.
Open Call funding is only available to independent producers who are citizens or
legal residents of the U.S. and its external territories.nvites
Deadline: January 13, 2012
more info
BAVC Mediamaker Fellows Program
The 2012 BAVC MediaMaker Fellows program is
designed to engage artists in a year-long series of opportunities that support
project development through professional mentorship in multiplatform and
transmedia storytelling through emerging technologies, strategic social media,
marketing, and fundraising.
Deadline: Monday, January 16, 2012
more info
Garrett Scott Documentary Development Grant
This grant funds first time documentary makers for
travel and accommodations at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, April
12-15, 2012. For four days, grant recipients will be given access to films,
participate in master classes and be mentored by experienced filmmakers. TWO
filmmakers will be chosen for the grant in its fifth year.
Deadline: Friday,
February 3, 2012
more info
Sundance Creative Producing Fellowship and Lab
A year-long program designed to nurture emerging
producers with project-specific support through Labs, grants, and long-term
advisor relationships.
Deadline: Friday, February 10, 2012
more info
National Geographic Society's All Roads Film Project Seed Grants
The All Roads Film Project is a
multimedia festival and grants program dedicated to providing a platform for
indigenous and underrepresented minority-culture storytellers from around the
world. The objectives are to showcase works by these artists to promote
knowledge, dialogue, and understanding with a broader global audience.
Deadline: 15th of each March, June, September, and December.
more info
Jerome Foundation
Grants of up to $30,000 will be awarded to individual film and video artists
living in New York City who work in the genres of experimental, narrative,
animation, and documentary production.
Deadline: Open
more info
Ford Foundation
Ford has announced its Social Issue Film Funding Initiative. A total of
approximately $16 million will be given through an open-application process to
filmmakers and mediamakers around the world who are working to create
documentaries that address urgent social issues.
Deadline: Open
more info
Global Film Initiative
Promoting Cross Cultural understanding through media, the
GFI offers a $10,000 Production grant for feature filmmakers outside of
the U.S.
Deadline: January 15, 2012
more info
Space available at TWN
Affordable
Office Space Available midway between Port Authority and Penn Station. 2 room
office with bountiful storage space, separate entrance in a 24/7 access building
with guard downstairs. Available now, for up to 3 years. $1800/month
includes utilities. Email jt@twn.org or call 212
947-9277x16.
The Dottin-Fasulo-Perez Memorial Workshop Fund
(TWN) family suffered three tremendous losses in 2010 with the passing of some
extraordinary workshop alumni: Jennifer Fasulo, Miriam Akoma Perez, and Laura
Dottin. As families, friends, activists and media arts communities heal from
these tragic losses, we also want to pay tribute to these strong and talented
women. Please see our memorial section below to read about their lives and work.
The leadership of Third World Newsreel has created the Dottin-Fasulo-Perez
Memorial Workshop Fund which will provide funding for the TWN Workshops. All
three of these women were accomplished media makers whose lives had been changed
by participation in TWN Workshops, a 34 year old program that has trained
hundreds of socially committed filmmakers. What more fitting way to pay tribute
than to facilitate the path for other emerging socially conscious filmmakers to
learn their craft? The Board of Directors of Third World Newsreel hopes that all
who can, will make a generous contribution for the 2011 calendar year to support
the Dottin-Fasulo-Perez Memorial Workshop Fund. To donate online, or for
information on making donations, please go to our
donation page.
Announcing the TWN Film Preservation Fund
Third World Newsreel is working with the Preservation Committee of the
original Newsreel film collective to preserve many of the original Newsreel
films. Numerous historic short activist films were made in the late 60's and
early 70's - from Columbia Revolt to Break and Enter that are at
risk.
Right now, we finishing the preservation of the film "Janie's Janie", an
important but rarely seen documentary shot in Newark by Geri Ashur, Marilyn
Mulford, Stephanie Palewski and others. It follows a woman who comes to see the
need to organize against a system that oppresses her at every turn - because she
is poor, divorced and a woman. An early feminist film, this project is deeply
personal and complex.
So far, we have been able to raise the amount needed to preserve "Janie's
Janie", and need your help to restore our other films, like "Columbia Revolt".
This film and other high caliber historic documentaries are at risk of being
lost for ever! It is critical that we preserve the early TWN films for future
generations of students, scholars, activists and audiences. To donate online, or
for information on making donations, please go to our
donation page.
H2A Partners With Third World Newsreel on Indie Distribution Label, H2ONewsreel
The Hip-Hop Association (H2A) has officially
partnered with Third World Newsreel (TWN) to form, H2ONewsreel, The Best in
Hip-Hop Media, Education, and Culture. Visit connected to their subjects through
common bonds of ethnic/cultural heritage, class position, gender, sexual
orientation and political identification. TWN promotes the self-representation
of traditionally marginalized groups as well as the negotiated representation of
those groups by artists who work in solidarity with them.n annual event, to
year-round exhibitions at different venues throughout the US and
internationally. Through online partnerships, we will promote upcoming
screenings, trailers and shorts. Filmmakers will also have a space to create
their own profile page. Filmmakers whose projects are aligned with the H2O
NEWSREEL mission will be selected to work closely with staff members on their
marketing campaigns, programming and distribution goals, so that the H2A can
offer more cultivation and resources. The Odyssey awards honoring our best
filmmakers will resume in June 2009.
H2O NEWSREEL is poised to be the leading Hip-Hop multi-media independent
developer and distribution outlet. It will acquire media projects and facilitate
the creation of curriculums and stH2O NEWSREEL is poised to be the leading
Hip-Hop multi-media independent developer and distribution outlet. It will
acquire media projects and facilitate the creation of curriculums and study
guides for the education and urban entertainment markets.
H2ONEWSREEL will offer the most competitive percentage agreement to independent filmmakers
and will split profits on a non-exclusive agreement. Formed in September 2008,
H2ONEWSREEL is now releasing its titles to the international educational sector.
H2ONEWSREEL is featuring ten documentaries including: Masizakhe: Building Each
Other (US/S. Africa), Frekuensia Kolombiana (Colombia), and an award winning
short series collection. o year-round exhibitions at different venues throughout
the US and internationally. Through online partnerships, we will promote
upcoming screenings, trailers and shorts. Filmmakers will also have a space to
create their own profile page. Filmmakers whose projects are aligned with the
H2O NEWSREEL mission will be selected to work closely with staff members on
their marketing campaigns, programming and distribution goals, so that the H2A
can offer more cultivation and resources.
For more information on H2ONewsreel, go to the
H20Newsreel site
In Memoriam
James Allen Thigpen, Jr., passed suddenly Wednesday, January 13, 2010
in Columbus, Ohio. Fondly known as Jim, he was born May 28, 1950 in Columbus. He
is preceded in death by father , James A. Thigpen, Sr. He is survived by mother,
Louise of Columbus; sister Dorothy of Brooklyn, NY; brothers Steve (Veda) of
Columbus, Barry (Riccarda) of Franklin, TN, Robert (Molly) of New Albany, OH,
and life companion of 38 years, Larry J. Willis of Columbus, along with a host
of cousins, nieces and nephews. Jim graduated from East High School and with
honors from Ohio State University, with a degree in Psychology. He resided and
worked in a number of professional capacities in Columbus and New York City, and
owned a computer software development business. But Jim’s longest efforts were
on behalf of people with developmental disabilities and their families.
Throughout New York State, he was widely recognized as an effective advocate for
the principles of equal protection, justice and fairness for all. He had a great
passion for the arts, the internet, Web and software development. He developed
e-commerce websites and database applications for non-profit art and government
entities. Colleagues and friends describe Jim as always kind, empathetic,
sincere, respectful, and loyal toward every person. His kindness and compassion
will live in our hearts forever.
The crew at Third World Newsreel is
devastated by this loss. Jim was our beloved friend, co-worker, webmaster - in
fact he designed our upgraded website - and he was our consummate
"shademeister".
Laura Dottin, a member of the 2010 Production Workshop, passed away October
25th, 2010, after a long illness. Laura was truly a passionate and dedicated
activist starting with her involvement with C.O.R.E. as a student during the
sixties. An anti-war activist, Laura was a founding member of the Black Student
Union at SUNY New Paltz and worked with migrant workers in the area. Later,
Laura became Vice Chairperson of Organization of Staff Analysis, a group that
fought and won collective bargaining rights for workers. She also worked with
organizations such as the African National Reparations Organization, Brooklyn
Neighborhood Improvement Association, National Black United Front, and the
Patrice Lumumba Coalition. For over a decade Laura worked with the African and
Caribbean Resource Center, producing community forums and radio programs. She
traveled extensively to Cuba, Grenada and Canada representing the organization.
Her media work started in the 80’s with WBAI-FM where she was a volunteer and
researcher for “Behind The News” and continued with her starting and
co-producing, with three other colleagues, the monthly news magazine “Cuba in
Focus” which still airs today. Laura also produced at WBAI the news magazine
“Caribbean Perspective”. A self proclaimed “computer geek”, Laura worked
professionally with computers as a manager of a computer support group. Her long
involvement with video and audio started in the 80’s where she documented and
recorded community activities and political struggles. Laura truly saw the
interrelationship of various media, computer technology, and the internet as a
means and tool for political activity. Her desire to be a storyteller and to
produce documentaries that spoke to our place in the world was her motivation to
be in the Production Workshop. To quote her, “I think every life is interesting
and instructive – it is the storyteller who must capture the essence”. Laura's
compassion and love for other people was always evident and she will be missed.
A memorial was held October 31st in Brooklyn.
Miriam 'Sa'uuda Akoma Nsoroma' Perez
passed away unexpectedly Tuesday, August 24, 2010 in Ka'apuli, Hawaii,
while on vacation. Born in Brooklyn, Miriam is survived by her loving and
talented daughter, Maryam Afiya Perez, devoted friend Dorothy Thigpen, her
sisters and her brothers, and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, and dear
friends, including TWN's staff. Miriam and her daughter Afiya are part of the
Third World Newsreel family. Miriam was a beloved teacher of English and
Literature at Cobble Hill High School, and was one semester away from receiving
her Masters of Arts in Media Studies and Film from the New School of Social
Research. Miriam was also an accomplished writer, artist and documentary
filmmaker, and was awarded a Development Cohort grant from the Fledgling Fund in
2009 for her current documentary project, HOLLER. Her first film Walking with
FUREE, is part of Third World Newsreel's Call for Change Series and has screened
at the Museum of Modern Art, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the
Brooklyn Academy of Music and many more national and international venues.
Miriam was an alumna of Third World Newsreel's Film and Video Production
Workshop. Miriam was passionate about using her artistic skills to address
social justice and fairness for all. As an avid believer in the Buddhist
principles of moral thought and action, Miriam was compassionate, loving, kind
and generous to all and always spiritually positive in her life pursuits. Her
beauty and intelligence will be missed and never forgotten by all. Memorial
services were held on September 3, 2010, at The Church Of The Open Door, in
Brooklyn.
Jennifer Fasulo A tragic accident in the summer of 2010 took from us
a committed and talented filmmaker, Jennifer Fasulo. An esteemed alumna of the
TWN Production Workshop, Jennifer was dedicated to feminism and social justice
activism, a testament to her integrity and compassion. Her first video, Women’s
Struggles For Freedom In Iraq (co-produced with Liz Miller), was selected for
the World Social Forum Film Festival in 2003. For several years she worked as an
Assistant Producer for Joy of Resistance: Multi-Cultural Feminist Radio at WBAI
Community Radio in NYC. Her writing has appeared in Women's ENews, ZNet,
Salon.com and the radical feminist journal Rain and Thunder. Her 2009 workshop
documentary, PRIMETIME: Fighting Back Against Foreclosure (with co-producer
Manauvaskar Kublall) is a strikingly human and concise explanation of the
subprime mortgage crisis and its disproportionate impact on families of color.
The video screened at the MoMA Doc Fortnight in 2009 and is being used by many
communities and classrooms today. We will miss her big smile, bright intellect,
talent and great heart at Third World Newsreel.